Container closure



Nov. 5, 1968 c, MCKEAN JR 3,409,189

CONTAINER CLOSURE Filed Feb. 15, 1967 INVENTORS United States Patent t I 3,409,189 CONTAINER CLOSURE Robert C. McKeand, Jr., .414 Barrett Road,- I Nashville, Tenn. 37211 v Filed, Feb. 13,1967, Ser. No. 615,831 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-561) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Aislidable closure memberhaving an openingadjacent one end and a sealing member adjacent the other, end, and

a pair of v transverse closure guides fixed to the outlet end of a container for slidably receiving and holding the closure member against the outlet end alternately in open I and closed positions.

Background of the invention This invention relates to a container closure, and more particularly to guides for a slidable container closure.

A container closure having an opening therethrough and adapted to be supported upon a container outlet for reciprocable slidable movement between an open and a closed position is known in the art. However, the structure of such closures is unnecessarily complexand expensive to manufacture.

Surnmary of the invention This invention contemplates a pair of holders or guides fixed to the outlet end of a container for slidably receiving the closure member, but also provides additional func-' tions believed to be new in the art of container closures. One of these functions is to provide one of a pair of guides with more resiliency than the other guide to permit upward thrust of the closure sealing protuberance or Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention mounted on top of the outlet end of a container, shown fragmentarily, with the closure in open position;

FIG. 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, with the closure in closed position.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now to the drawings in more detail, a container, such as the collapsible tube 10, is disclosed having an externally threaded outlet 11 upon which is threadedly secured an internally threaded removable cap 12. Centrally disposed through the cap 12 is a discharge opening 13 which registers with the opening of the outlet 11 and communicates with the interior of the tube 10. Although the configuration of the discharge opening 13 is immaterial, it is shown in the drawings as having a rectangular cross-section.

It will also be understood that although the cap 12 has been disclosed as removable from the tube outlet 11, it may form an integral part of the outlet end of the tube 10. Moreover, it will be understood that this invention may be employed equally well on other types of container.

The top surface 14 of the cap 12 is flat or planar to slidably receive the bottom surface of the closure memher 15. The closure member 15 is elongated, having' 'a substantially rectangular shape and havinga uniform width and uniform-thickness. The length of the closure member 15 is, of course, substantially greater than the diameter or longitudinal extent of the top surface 14.

The opposite ends of the closure member 15 are turned downwardly to provide the depending stop members or flanges 17 and 18, in order to limit the slidable movement of the closure'member 15 relative to the cap 12.- Y

Adjacent the end of the closure member-15 provided with the stop-flange 17, arectangula'r opening 19 is formed through the closuremember 15 to register with the discharge opening 13 inthe cap 12, in open position, as disclosed in FIG. 1. Y

A depending protuberance or sealing member 20 is formed on the bottom surface of the closure member '15 adjacent the end supporting the stop flange 18. This protuberance 20 is of a configuration adapted to completely fill and seal the discharge opening 13 when the closure member 15 is in closed position (FIG. 2).

Fixed to the cap 12 are a pair of closure guides 21 an 22, longitudinally spaced on opposite sides of the discharge opening 13 for slidably receiving and engaging the closure member 15. Although other types of structure may be employed, each guide 21 and 22 is disclosed as formed of a single, wire-like element, such as a piece of spring wire or resilient plastic or metal.

Closure guide 21 includes a straight transverse member or piece 24 suspended at its opposite ends by inverted U-shaped or loop pieces 25 and 26 to upstanding spaced legs 27 and 28. The legs 27 and 28 are fixed to or in the cap 12, and may be integral with or molded into the cap 12. The straight transverse member 24 is spaced above the surface 14 substantially the thickness of the closure member 15, so that the transverse member 24 slidably engages and holds the closure member 15 upon the planar surface 14.

The closure guide 22 includes a V-shaped transverse member 30, the outer upper ends of which are connected to, and preferably integral with, the upstanding legs 31 and 32. Both the structural configuration and the wirelike material employed in the legs 31 and 32 and the transverse member 30 provide a resiliency to the guide 22 which will normally hold the closure member 15 against the cap surface 14, but will also yield to the upward thrust of the closure member 15 as the protuberance 20 engages and moves over the cap surface 14. The point contact of the apex portion of the V-shaped transverse member 30 against the top surface of the closure member 15 is sufiicient to normally hold and guide the closure member 15, and yet can easily bend temporarily to permit the slidable passage of the closure member 15 and protuberance 20 over the cap surface 14 between the open and closed positions of FIGS. 1 and 2.

By locating the flanged end 17 of the closure member 15 closer to the guide 21 than guide 22, the opening 19 passes beneath only the guide 21 as the closure member 15 moves between the closed and open positions. In this manner, the straight transverse member 24 continually wipes or cleans excess discharged material away from the opening 19 as the closure member 15 moves from the open position of FIG. 1 to the closed position of FIG. 2. If the closure member 15 were reversed, the depending apex portion of the V-shaped member 30 would be depressed into the opening 19 during each reciprocable movement of the closure member 15.

In operating the invention, the closure member 15 is normally in the closed position of FIG. 2 with protuberance 20 firmly seated in opening 13. By manually pushing flange 17 toward cap 12, or pulling flange 18, the smooth, arcuate protuberance 20 is cammed upwardly upon the cap surface 14, simultaneously thrusting the V- shaped member 30 upward, but still engaging the top of closure member 15. The closure member 15 continues to move toward the right of FIG. 2 until the protuberance 20 drops over the edge of the cap 12. The closure member 15 then continues to move to the open position of FIG. 1 with its bottom surface held in slidable engagement with the planar cap surface 14 by the transverse members 24 and 30.

After the desired amount of material is discharged from the container through opening 19, the closure member 15 is moved in the opposite direction by flange 18 or 17, with the protuberance 20 again camming upward the guide member 30 as the protuberance moves over the cap surface 14, and until it reseats in the discharge opening 13 in the closed position of FIG. 2. During this return movement, the straight transverse member 24 wipes the excess discharged material away from opening 19 as well as guiding and holding the closure member 15.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A closure for a container comprising:

(a) an outlet end for said container having a plane surface and a discharge opening extending through said plane surface and in communication with said container,

(b) an elongated closure member of uniform width and uniform thickness adapted to slidably engage said plane surface and having first and second ends,

(0) an opening through said closure member adjacent said first end and adapted to register with said discharge opening when said closure is in open position,

(d) a protuberance depending from said closure member adjacent said second end and adapted to project into and seal said discharge opening in closed position,

(e) a first closure guide having a straight transverse member,

(f) means fixing said first guide to said outlet end on one side of said discharge opening so that said transverse member is spaced from said plane surface to extend transversely of said closure member so that said closure member is slidably received between said plane surface and said transverse member,

(g) a second closure guide having a depending transverse member, 7

(h) means fixing said second guide to said outlet end on the opposite side of said discharge opening from said first guide so that said depending member is spaced from said plane surface to extend transversely of said closure member so that said closure member is slidably received between said plane surface and said depending member,

(i) said means fixing said second guide including resilient means biasing said depending member into slidable engagement with said closure member while yielding to the upward thrust of said closure member when said protuberance engages said plane surface,

(j) said first guide being closer than said second guide to said first end in either open or closed position.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said depending transverse member is V-shaped.

3. The invention according to claim 1 in which both said transverse members are wire-like elements, and each of said fixing means comprise upstanding wire-like legs fixed to said outlet end and spaced apart a distance greater than the width of said closure member.

4. The invention according to claim 1 in which each of said first and second ends comprises a depending flange.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1935 Demers 222-561 12/1952 Kinley 2225l1 

